PUF Chairman New Year Message

Dear Fellow Country men and women,

I greet you in the name of  God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, who have authority over the universe. Through him, we have reached the end of the year 2022. I hope he will still give us the courage to face the challenges ahead of us. You have suffered enough under the hand of your leaders, but you have endured the suffering though the impact of misrule is going to have adverse effects on you and your dear children.

No country in this world like South Sudan, where civil servants, army, and other organized forces personnel are not pay to cater for themselves and their families. No country in this world like South Sudan, where leaders distribute national resources to themselves and their surrogates and pay less attention to the needs of suffering citizens.

Many of you are suffering in IDPs and Refugee camps, but those who call themselves leaders are enjoying looting the resources in South Sudan. They continue to trigger violence to sustain their stay in power. You have heard of the current violence in Upper Nile State. Nuer and Shilluk are killings one another. Recently you have heard about the violence in Unity State, fitting Nuer against Nuer. It is the same objective of creating fear among the populace and triggering displacement.

The beneficiaries of violence have successfully displaced populations in Central Equatoria, Unity State, Jonglei, and Upper Nile state. Who knows, they may soon trigger displacement in other parts of the country.

The people you called your leaders have been using violence and displacement as their strategy to keep them in power.

As we go to the new year, there are looming challenges ahead of us. The first challenge is the lack of political will to add unified forces to the SSPDF payroll. These forces, especially the former rebel fighters, are not on the SSPDF payroll. Failure to pay them until next year may result in a desertion. They may return to their previous hiding grounds and form new militia groups that may terrorize the civilians and disturb the peace in the countryside. Road ambushes, night robberies, and illegal checkpoints may increase soon.

The second challenge is the mass displacement of the remaining population in Upper Nile and Unity state. The violence triggered this year may continue and will intensify during the dry season next year. Revenge and counter-revenge attacks may increase the displacement of the remaining population in the affected areas.

What are we supposed to do to encounter the looming challenges for 2023?

We need to raise our voices to pressure Salva Kiir government to add unified forces to the SSPDF payroll. We need to pressure Salva Kiir government to order their affiliate militias in Upper Nile and Unity State to cease violence immediately.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone

 Dr. Gai Chol Paul